Almost Losing Him
by Klutzygirl33
Summary: Bree Mayer struggles not to fall apart when Karl nearly dies in a car accident. Bree/Karl


**Disclaimer**: I don't own Desperate Housewives and never will. No copyright infringement intended.

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Bree Mayer had just dropped her stepson off at school and returned home when she got the phone call.

"Is this Bree Mayer?" asked the person on the other end.

"Yes, this is Bree Mayer. May I ask what this is about?" She had no idea who was calling her, and what this was for.

"Mrs. Mayer, my name is Alicia Henderson. I'm calling from Fairview General Hospital. Your husband Karl was in a car accident. You need to come down here immediately." Alicia hated making these phone calls.

"Is Karl okay?" Bree was panicking now.

"I can't tell you that information over the phone, Mrs. Mayer." Alicia wished she didn't have to do this.

"I'll be there as soon as possible." Bree hung up the phone and tried to find her keys. After several unsuccessful attempts, she bolted towards the Scavos' house. Lynette was home with Piper and Patrick.

Bree rung the doorbell and wouldn't stop until an irritated Lynette opened up the door. "What is the matter, Bree?"

"Karl was in a car accident and they won't tell me how bad it is over the phone. I can't find my keys. My husband could be dead and I'm not there," Bree babbled. She tried not to burst into tears like she wanted to.

Lynette saw how panicked her friend was and decided to take Bree to the hospital. "Let me get the babies and we can go."

Bree breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much." She was very grateful to Lynette.

Lynette brought the twins out, and within a few minutes, she and Bree were on the road. Lynette pretended not to notice when she saw that Bree's hands were shaking.

Lynette followed the rushing Bree into the emergency room. Bree ran as fast as she could to the front desk. "My name is Bree Mayer. I received a phone call that my husband Karl was brought here. How is he?" Bree couldn't stop thinking the worst. She didn't want to lose Karl.

"Mrs. Mayer, why don't you sit down," Alicia suggested.

"Just tell me how my husband is!" Bree cried. She knew she was acting irrationally, but really didn't care.

Alicia sighed. "Your husband was first hit head on, and then another car ran into the driver's side. He was brought here almost immediately. There was some internal bleeding, so he needs surgery for that. He's currently in the OR. He sprained his ankle. He also hit his head and has a concussion. Mr. Mayer also broke his left hip, and has numerous cuts and bruises. Someone will be down to talk to you after the surgery is over."

Bree felt dizzy. She swayed on her feet, but Alicia helped her over to a chair and instructed her to put her head between her knees. Lynette and Alicia could clearly hear her whispering under her breath. "Don't die," Bree repeated over and over again.

"Bree, think positively," Lynette comforted. She rubbed Bree's back to calm her down.

"We need to call Susan and Julie and tell them," Bree said out of the blue. They needed to know about this.

"I'll call them." Lynette pushed the double stroller out of the hospital and dialed Julie's number. Afterwards, she called Susan, who agreed to bring Evan with her after school. Lynette then called Gaby. After that, she talked to Bob and Lee.

Julie and Gaby showed up at the hospital about twenty minutes later. Mike arrived about half an hour later.

"Have you heard anything?" Gaby questioned. She was worried about Bree and Karl.

Bree shook her head. "Karl's still in surgery." She was glad that mostly everyone had come for moral support.

Susan, MJ, and Evan rushed to the emergency room around 12:00. It had been a half day of school today. Evan climbed up onto his stepmother's lap. "Daddy's going to be okay, Momma Bree," he comforted.

Bree smiled despite herself. "Thank you so much, Baby." She gave the little boy a hug.

Tom got out of work around 1:00. No one had found out anything new yet, so he decided to take kid duty. Along with the twins, Tom took MJ, Evan, Juanita, and Celia back home with him.

At 3:00, a doctor came into the waiting room. "Family of Karl Mayer?"

Bree stood up immediately. "I'm his wife," she informed him.

"Mrs. Mayer, your husband is a very lucky man. The internal bleeding was bad. Karl flat lined twice during surgery, but we were able to revive him both times. The next 48 hours are critical, though. He's not out of the woods yet. Karl is in the ICU. Only one person at a time can visit him." The doctor turned around and left.

"You go see him," Julie told her stepmother. She would visit her father later.

"Are you sure, Julie?" Bree desperately wanted to see Karl, but Julie was his daughter. She had more right to see him.

"I'm sure. Go ahead, Bree," Julie encouraged.

Bree followed a nurse up to the ICU. She hoped that Karl would be okay. She walked quietly into her husband's room. "Hi, Karl. I love you," Bree whispered to her sleeping (probably unconscious) husband.

Karl didn't answer, but Bree knew that he wouldn't. She leaned over and kissed him. "Don't you dare leave me, Karl Mayer."

A few hours later, visiting hours were over. Bree was told to go home. Susan and Julie drove her back, but Bree didn't want to stay in her and Karl's house by herself

"You can sleep in our guest room with Evan," Susan assured her. She had known before today that Karl and Bree were really happy together, but this had convinced her that they were soul mates.

"Thank you, Susan." However, Bree couldn't sleep. Her thoughts kept turning to Karl. At 1:00 in the morning, Bree gave up on sleeping. She got out of bed and made sure not to disturb her stepson. Bree began cleaning the Delfinos' house. Upon finishing that, Bree started to bake.

"What are you doing?" a confused Mike asked her the next morning after he woke up.

Bree smiled at him. "Baking! MJ and Evan deserve some sweets. You and Susan will get something, too."

"It's a coping method. She'll fall apart after there's nothing left to do," Susan explained to Mike when she woke up.

"Whatever. Boys, why don't we go have some fun today?" Mike asked MJ and Evan. Both boys agreed, and they ran upstairs to get ready.

Susan took Julie and Bree back to the hospital when visiting hours started. Karl was still unconscious, but expected to wake up soon.

Bree refused to leave Karl's side. She was there when he woke up around noon.

"Bree, you look beautiful," a tired Karl murmured to his wife.

"Thanks for the compliment, but all I want you to do is get better." Bree kissed him.

"I will. I'm staying right here, Baby." Karl saw how his wife was struggling and made a note to himself to tell Susan and Julie to watch out for her.

After visiting hours were over, Bree returned to her own home. She began cooking and baking like crazy. Bree even sent Andrew to the store to get her some more ingredients.

When Andrew refused to go back to the store the next day, Bree was furious. Gaby was there, so she asked her to go instead. Gaby also refused to go the store.

"Karl's going to need food when he comes home," Bree argued angrily. What didn't anyone understand about that?

"Sweetie, he's not coming home for a little while." Gaby was really worried about her friend. She hoped she was able to calm down soon.

"You're lying, Gabrielle." Karl was fine, and he would be home soon. Bree knew that. Why didn't anyone else?

"Bree, you need to accept what happened to Karl." Gaby really wanted to get through to Bree.

And that's when Bree lost it. She sunk to the floor and began to sob. Gaby sat down next to her and rocked Bree back and forth until she cried herself to sleep.

Gaby told Susan, who informed Karl about Bree's breakdown before she showed up at the hospital the next day.

"Baby, you can never get rid of me. I love you," Karl comforted.

"I love you too," Bree replied.

Karl had a long recovery period ahead of him, but he and Bree could get through it together.


End file.
